How To Pour Wine Without Spilling A Drop
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Ok, this isn't news. But if you've struggled with wine-stained tablecloths, here's a pouring primer from the pros, including notes on how many ounces go into a standard pour and the official name of that little dent in the bottom of the bottle.
Study Reveals How Alcohol Shrinks Your Brain
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Most people know that heavy drinking (2+ drinks a day) can increase risk of disease and cognitive impairment. But a new study of more than 36,000 adults shows that even light-to-moderate drinking might reduce your overall brain volume. For example, among 50-year-olds, researchers found that as drinking increased from one alcohol unit (half a beer or glass of wine) to two units (a pint of beer or full glass of wine) per day, there were associated brain changes equivalent to aging two years. Going from two to three alcohol units a day was like aging three and half years. Hm...where did I put that mocktail cookbook?
Image Source: Reuters/Ardee Napolitano
Beer innovations never cease. The French brewer Hoppy Urban Brew (HUB) recently partnered with a local producer of spirulina (blue-green agae) to make blue-colored beer. Called "Line," the beer sold so well that HUB is ramping up production to meet growing demand. Only the blue "phycocyanin" pigment of spirulina is added to the brew, which tasters describe as light, hoppy, and fruity without a hint of pond scum.
It's Increasingly Likely That Your Fancy Bourbon Is Counterfeit
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In 2018, lab tests showed that more than 30% of rare Scotch on the market is fake. Now counterfeiters have jumped on the bourbon bandwagon. Buffalo Trace, maker of coveted bourbons like Pappy Van Winkle, Blanton's, and Double Eagle, issued a statement warning customers be on the lookout for fakes. The company hopes to avoid scams like the one that befell Acker Wines, America's oldest wine shop, which unwittingly sold a fake bottle of Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain bourbon for $1,000.
Champagne Pops Sales Records As Demand Flows Again
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In the champagne world, 2020 was as flat as day-old root beer. But this year, bubbly revenues have risen higher than ever to $6.2 billion. That's well ahead of the tipple's previous sales record of $5.6 billion set just before the pandemic hit. I guess people are finally finding things to celebrate again. Omicron be damned: We're going to toast to 2022 this weekend!
